updated 11:55 am EDT, Thu August 12, 2010

Notion Ink Adam to cost less than iPad

Notion Ink's Adam tablet has been largely fleshed out in an unofficial outline of company plans. The 10-inch Android slate will be sold in four distinct versions, SlashGear heard, all of which use NVIDIA's dual-core Tegra 250. A traditional LCD design with Wi-Fi alone will cost $399, or about $100 less than the iPad; a 3G version of the same will cost $449, while versions with an outdoor-friendly Pixel Qi display will cost an extra $50 each.

Those prices may drop by an extra $25 if Notion Ink can land a better contract price.

The firm also validated a push back to November despite talk of launching earlier. Notion Ink plans to launch in the US first, but it plans to submit the Adam to the FCC for testing between November and early December. A launch would follow soon afterwards but could lead to a shipping timeframe between November and January.

Software will be an important influence. A dedicated content portal, Genesis, will open shopping for e-books and other media. Although based on Android, it will have a new UI that had originally been reserved for the next-generation model. Preloaded apps will be a staple, too, and should involve drawing, secure e-mail and remote tracking.

About 340 developers worldwide, including 90 "major" American developers, have pledged support for the Adam, and Epic Games' Unreal Engine will have an official blessing on the platform.

Future models would come quickly. A second model, likely the Eve, would have NVIDIA's unannounced third-generation Tegra chip, Android 3.0, and a tentative ship date in the spring or summer.

Sounds Interesting

Who is this Notions Ink company? Apparently, this is their first product. Their website is a bit confusing. The technical specs in one place said the thing weighs around 600 to 650 grams while another part of their webpage says it will weigh around 750 grams. (The iPad weighs 680 grams). Another part mentions "the densest monochrome display". Is this not a color tablet/slate computer?